Modest Mouse

Perhaps you've heard of a band called Modest Mouse. They had a 2004 song, "Float On," that quite possibly everyone in America and at least three other continents knew the lyrics to. Perhaps you're also a fan of Morrissey and his band, The Smiths, which featured Johnny Marr on lead guitar. Ring a bell? Well, Modest Mouse is an indie-rock band whose most recent album, 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, not only carried on the band's tradition of long album titles, they showed how mature the band's sound has come since their formative days. A lot has changed for the Issaquah, Washington rockers since 1994. They teamed up with guitar wizard Marr, who brought a sense of stability to a band that is often ill-tempered — thanks in large part to lead singer Issac Brock's notoriously short fuse. The band's live shows, however, showcase their tenacious raw talent and impressive showmanship.